David Marquis celebrates a lifetime of art and activism

David Marquis speaks at Bar Politics with Josh Kumler at the Foundry this past summer. Marquis, a lifelong activist and artist, celebrates his 65th birthday at the Kessler Monday. Photo by Scott Wayne McDaniel

David Marquis performed his first activism in Dallas at a school board meeting 40 years ago.

He was a teacher just out of college, and he spoke for 3 minutes about a measure that would’ve taken basic human biology out of textbooks on the grounds it was too racy. The speech was so charismatic, he says, that the school board president quickly called for a vote, and the measure was defeated.

The show is a way to say “thank you” to all of the people who have touched his life, Marquis says.

“I want it to be about love and gratitude,” he says. “It’s also about affecting change.”

Marquis, who toured for 20 years with his one-man show “I am a Teacher,” says he naturally is quiet and reserved. He credits his talent for public speaking to his speech teacher at Lubbock High School, Mamie Porter.

Sponsored Message

Whether performing a one-man play in a 3,000-seat theater or arguing for water conservation before a panel of bored Texas lawmakers, the goal is the same, Marquis says. People want to be entertained. Reading a dry 10-page speech won’t have the same effect as delivering a punchy 3-minutes that hit the most important points.

Marquis and his wife, Diana, moved to Oak Cliff in 1993 and live near Kiest and Westmoreland. He is the founder of Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, which is thought to be the first use of a conservation easement in Dallas zoning history. It’s more than just the eight-mile hike-and-bike trail. The development also included affordable senior housing, a library and an elementary school.

Amid the often twisted values of Texas lawmakers and our endlessly frustrating public school systems, Marquis remains an optimist. He can always see where progress is happening, and he wakes up knowing there’s work to be done every day.

“If you want to live in a better place you can do it,” he says. “It won’t be easy, but it can be done.”